Muslim Ummah mourns, as 7 female members burnt to death in Sagamu-Benin Expressway accident

*Training programme cancelled – Al-Mu’minaat

*Ex-NAWOJ Chairperson, Sekinah Lawal, mourns

*Deaths big loss not only to them as Muslim organisation but also to Muslim Ummah of Nigeria – MSSN B-Zone

By BASHIR ADEFAKA

In a very horrifying and profoundly irreparable manner, the Muslim Ummah of Nigeria lost what could be described as nations as seven female members, one pregnant, some nursing mothers, along their kids were consumed by fire resulting from a lone motor accident, which occurred a few meters away from Odogbolu Junction near Ijebu-Ode along the Sagamu-Benin expressway, on Wednesday December 28, 2022.

In the ghastly road accident that took a family of three among the dead, seven other women sustained injuries of varied degrees including fractures and had been taken to hospitals.

The victims, dead and those receiving treatments plus the driver numbering 15, were said to have taken off from the Kosofe area of Lagos and were heading to location of a four-day annual Islamic camping programme of Al-Mu’minaat Organisation tagged the Al-Mu’minaat Training Forum (ATF), holding at Vanguard Academy, Odosengolu near Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, South West Nigeria.

The DEFENDER gathered that the bus, with registration number AGL 886 YD conveying the 14 women and their kids, suddenly exploded from the engine side and immediately caught fire due to the engine oil overflow (overfloat).

The ostensibly excruciating accident was confirmed by Spokesman of the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps (TRACE), Mr. Babatunde Akinbiyi, to have occurred at about 2.50pm.

According to Akinbiyi, seven females had burns while seven other females were burnt beyond recognition, adding that their point of departure in Lagos was Kosofe until the ill-fated situation happened.

“The number of passengers in the commercial bus was 15, out of which seven females were burnt to death, while the remaining seven were seriously burnt and taken to hospital for treatment. However, the driver of the bus escaped.

“The Mazda bus had been taken to Odogbolu Motor Traffic Division of the Nigeria Police,” Akinbiyi said.

He commiserated with the families of the deceased, wished the injured speedy recovery and urged motorists to maintain their vehicles regularly as well as carry out a daily routine checks before setting out on a journey.

In the meantime, further details on the sad event has it that an expectant mother, a nursing mother and two kids were among the seven persons that were burnt to death when the Mazda bus conveying them went up in flames.

The diseased, according to sources close and aware of the training camp and their take off from Lagos, were named to include a 38-year-old nursing mother, Basirat Adebanjo, sister in-law of Nation’s journalist, Alhaji Tajudeen Adebanjo, and her two-year-old daughter, Abidat; Kafilah Akindele, Azeezah AbdulMajeed, Halimah Lawal, Shakirah Zakariyya and one Iya Al-Ameen.

Their bodies and five others were said to have been taken to Dawah Centre, Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State following their evacuation from the site of accident.

Training programme cancelled – Al-Mu’minaat

The National Amirah of the programme organisers, Al-Mu’minaat, Alhaja Nimatallah AbdulQadri, described the incident as shocking and saddening. She said some with fractures had been taken to the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Igbobi while others were in Gbagada General Hospital, Gbagada and Federal Medical Centre, Ebute Metta, all in Lagos State.

Alhaja AbdulQadri prayed to Allah to repose the souls of the dead in Al-Jannah Firdaus, commiserated with the victims and family of the deceased, promising that the whole organisation is with them in their moment of grief.

Due to the accident, the four-day training programme,Al-Mu’minaat Training Forum (ATF), has been scaled down. The believing women’s national leader, Alhaja Nimatallah AbdulQadri, announced the cancellation of the ongoing programme, saying the decision became necessary to mourn the departed members.

Ex-NAWOJ Chairman, Sekinah Lawal, mourns

Former Lagos State Chairman, National Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Alhaja Sekinah Lawal, in her reaction described the accident that led to death of those seven women and deep injuries of seven others as, “So sad indeed.”

She said, “I could not put myself together since because We were on our way to the camp yesterday but the car we took out in good condition keep offing engine even with frequent change of new batteries and had to return home not knowing a sad news awaits us,” she mourned.

MSSN B-Zone reacts

The Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria (MSSN), B-Zone that is South Nigeria, commiserated with the leadership of the male and female bodies that organised the training programme that ill-fated midway.

The DEFENDER reports that Al-Mu’minaat is women wing of a major group called The Muslim Congress (TMC), whose camp ended earlier for the women wing to begin its. The MSSN leadership commiserated with both.

“On behalf of myself and the entire members of MSSN B-ZONE, I commiserate with the leadership of The Muslim Congress and Al-Muminaat on the sad event of the death of some of their members on their way to Al-Muminaat camping program.

“We are devastated by this occurrence as it is not only a big loss to them as Muslim organization but also to all of us as Muslim ummah in Nigeria. I pray Allah forgive the deceased their shortcomings and admit them to paradise. I pray that Allah also give the injured quick recovery. May Allah grant the organization, the friends and families as well as the Muslim ummah in Nigeria the fortitude to bear the loss,” Barr Qaasim Odedeji, Amir, MSSN B-ZONE, said in a statement picked by The DEFENDER on Thursday.